$4000 plains game trip

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
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So I've got an opportunity to hunt three species of plains game in a week long trip. Kudu. Warthog and something else. I think it was springbok.

Republic of South Africa. They claim to have a BIG chunk of land to hunt.

A local travel agent has round trip at $1500.

I figure I could hunt all three critters and maybe even one more for about $8,000 total, if I wasn't crazy about the taxidermy and just brought home bleached skulls, along with maybe a "flat" skin or two.

For a rifle, I'd just take my good old .30-06 with the 6x scope and 180 gr Nosler Partitions. No need for anything more.

Comments? Concerns? I've never hunted Africa before, and this opportunity just sort of jumped up out of nowhere.

Thanks, Guy
 
Great opportunity, for sure. I've never hunted Africa, though I would enjoy such a hunt. The price appears to be quite decent. I should imagine that a 30-06 would serve you quite well for such game.
 
Guy,
Looks to be a fair price. As long as PH/lodging/meals/washing/skinning/salting is included. Airfare seems about right also. To Atlanta or New York?
Get a price list on the other animals. You may want to shoot others. No YOU WILL want to shoot other animals. :)
Russ
 
If you intent to hunt free ranging springboks, I hope you know your rifles trajectory quite well on distances beyond 250 meters. If you time is limited, you may want to focus on other species than the springbok. It takes a lot of crawling and a lot of time to get close to actually a get a fair chance. To hunt springbok I would say one week alone just for that animal alone. Hunts should also be 1x1 = you and the springbok and nobody else.
Otherwise just go down there and try you luck with all the other animals with your "thirtyoutsix" :wink: .

I spended 4 days to get close to a kudu close to molopo river North west Province. Again it takes time. Warthogs are easy pickings so is blesboks and steinbok.

These animals here have I hunted on free-range basis.
 
Whatever you decide CHECK THE AGENT/PH thoroughly!
 
Kudu are a tough kill, I would consider using 200 Partitions for penetration! The .30-200 (.30-06/200 grain) has been a popular load in South Africa for thick skinned ruminants over 500 pounds for lots of years!
 
Guy,
I used 180 partitions for all my animals. Not one of them had anything to say about it. :lol:
Russ
 
"If you intent to hunt free ranging springboks, I hope you know your rifles trajectory quite well on distances beyond 250 meters."

That, I've got handled. I know little about hunting Africa. Have never done so.

Shooting though. I do that quite a bit, out to 600 yards frequently. Good stuff!

So.... Perhaps I'll make the trip. Perhaps not. Hard to say. I'm waffling at this point. For me, this is a lot of money. On the other hand, I'd sure like to go for the experience.

We'll see.

Guy
 
OT,
I am sure the 200's would work just fine. They are just harder to get. Much more so here. Got to use what one can get. Guy, your PH should be getting you close. The closer the better. Tracking wounded animals takes away from your hunting time, not to mention you still pay for it, even if you don't find it.
Russ
 
I was just reading an article in Gun Digest about S. Africa and how the only American load that they stock is .30-200 gr Norma or Federal brand ammo. That load happens to be very favored because most South African plains game in shot under 200 yards and the 200 gr bullets carry the mail.

No offense taken, I was trying to make a point with no experience in Africa and none ever to be, I am too old. However, I have been hunting elk for 50 years (including with a .30-06), plus elk are supposed to be very close to Kudu in the killing, with Zebra and Wildebeast being tougher yet! The PH said that they encouraged American's to bring a .30-06 because they stocked 200 gr ammo for it at all the game ranches.
 
Yeah, I'm really not worried about the rifle/ammo. Figure I've got several acceptable choices.

It's just convincing myself to jar loose with the money for this trip. There's always competing priorities.

We'll see. I got pretty excited when this opportunity arose, but am not so sure now. I am pretty doggone happy just hunting bear, deer & elk here in my home state and hoping for a bighorn or moose tag someday. That and the awesome fishing...

Africa has a draw, no doubt, I'm just not sure this is the time for the trip. Wasn't on my schedule yet, that's for sure!

Regards, Guy
 
That was my issue as well and I never did go to Africa because the work schedule and (5) kids never gave me time for that much away time. I am happy to have hunted as much as I did. Wish I had more elk hunting time but I shot a lot of game all over the US and some in Canada with no complaints, Guy.
 
I have a friend who has been to Africa multiple times. He's gotten the bug in my ear to go sometime, though he's also confided in me that he won't go back, just due to the odds of having a bad trip after having so many good ones. So far, no illness, no loss of rifles or gear, and all his hides/etc. have come back properly. His statement is that at some point, someone will "lose" a rifle in shipping, or some camera equipment, or whatever. If I were to go, I'd take rifles it would not pain me to lose, based on his advice. Beyond that, he also encouraged me to go, but to do so with caution and care. Fotis' advice about checking everything thoroughly is wisdom.

If you do decide you want to go, you might look into attending a Safari Club event (Dallas is a big one, but there are usually state events as well) to see if you can get in on some good deals at the silent auction. My friend got a full 10-day trip in Africa (can't remember where) with $5k in trophy fees included, lacking only airfare, because it was an off time of year and nobody had bid on it when he went in at the end of the silent auction to check a couple of bids. He bid the minimum ($500) and won it. There were a few other trips won that way as well, he said. He spent the coin on his airfare and invited a friend to come along (the trip was 2 hunters) but the friend had to furnish his own trophy fees. There are ways to do it more economically than others. You might also look with reputable agents at their cancellations each year. I was about to make a very good deal on a trip (five plains animals for $1500 plus airfare, all daily fees, hide/head prep for sending to the taxidermist, and incidentals included, but I figured out why it was cancelled. The World Cup was happening at the same time and airfare was $4500. Still would not have been a bad trip, but I did not want the hassle and did not really have $6k plus taxidermy to swing it. If airfare had been $1200-1800 (from ATL) I would have done it.
 
Yep, check the outfiiter very carefully. A friend of mine went and when he got to Joberg. no one was there for him. Lucky for him he was able to get a flight out in a couple of days. But he lost his deposit and the outfitter was gone.
Russ
 
If you can afford to go do it Guy. Who we went with was pretty shady but beyond that we had a blast. I shot 5 animals and it cost me a lot but the heads are in my house to remind me. One day I will go back for Buff and maybe another Kudu. I concur with Fotis about double/triple/quadruple checking the outfitter out.

We bought our hunt from a SCI auction as well. It was for 2 hunters and 2 observers with 8 animals included. It cost the 4 of us 1700.00 each and the days the others hunted we split the daily fees. We shot 15 animals between us. I shot my Kudu at 513yds and the PH's there had never seen anyone shoot anything that far at the time (2000). We actually reported the outfitter, when we got back, to SCI and they ended up dropping them from their recommended list. I think they company actually went out of business.
 
I think that many of us have had lazy or bad outfitters and guides who did not deliver the services promised or just stole the deposit and disappeared. I have had only one such experience and it taught me a lesson about checking references and a even paying for a credit check before booking, especially if you are flying a long way to get there.
 
A Marine, a .30-06 and Africa... Heck, sounds like destiny to me. :) I'll be interested to see what you decide, Guy.
 
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